About us:

The discovery of the oldest Buddhist manuscripts – written between the first century BCE and the fourth century CE in the region of Gandhāra (modern Pakistan and Afghanistan) – has provided a new basis for our understanding of this formative phase of Buddhism. The project “Buddhist Manuscripts from Gandhāra” prepares editions and studies of these manuscripts, and investigates their linguistic, literary, and historical contexts, thereby deepening our knowledge of early Buddhism and Gandhāra’s central role in its development and transmission across Asia. It is a long-term project running until 2032, funded by the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities under the auspices of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and is hosted by the Institute of Indology and Tibetology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich. With over twenty members, the Institute boasts a broad expertise in the languages and literatures of South and Inner Asia, and in the cross-cultural transmission of Buddhism. The doctoral researcher working for the project will also be part of the cross-faculty and interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Buddhist Studies.

We are looking for you:

Doctoral researcher (m/f/x)

in Munich

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• Your main responsibility as a PhD researcher will be the preparation of a PhD dissertation. Your dissertation should aim at increasing our knowledge of Buddhism in Gandhāra and its cultural sphere, making use of primary evidence emerging from Gandhāra such as the new manuscripts, other textual, archeological, or art-historical sources.
• You will contribute to the broader research output of the Gandhāra project.
• You will contribute to conferences and other activities of the project, and of the Doctoral Program in Buddhist Studies.

Your qualifications:

• You have an excellent MA (completed, or to be complete by the time you join LMU) in a relevant field, which may include, but is not limited to Indology, Buddhist Studies, South Asian Art History or Archeology, or Sinology.
• Good familiarity with the history of Buddhism, particularly in South and/or Central Asia is desirable.
• A high-level knowledge of spoken and written English is required.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online.

Benefits:

• You will be paid an attractive salary, at the payscale 0.75 FTE of TV-L E13. For an explanation of this scheme, see here.
• You contract will be limited to three years, with the possibility of renewal for one additional year.
• Your workplace will be in the vibrant center of Munich and is well connected through public transport.
• LMU has signed the “Charter of Diversity” and is committed to the diversity of its employees. We actively promote gender equality.
• Information on the Family Service of LMU can be found here.

People with disabilities who are equally as qualified as other applicants will receive preferential treatment.

Contact:

Please submit the following in English:

• Cover letter explaining your motivation to carry out PhD research as part of the “Buddhist Manuscripts from Gandhāra” project (max. two pages).
• CV including, if applicable, a list of publications.
• Research proposal (max. 5.000 characters including spaces) and bibliography.
• Writing sample (MA thesis or other academic writing).
• Copies of your diplomas, including the BA; if the MA is not yet awarded, include a letter from your supervisor certifying the expected date of degree conferral.
• Contact information for two referees (who will be contacted only at the interview stage).

Combine all of these items into one PDF file with the file name “YOUR FAMILY NAME_Your Given Name_the date” (eg: “DOE_John_14June2025”).

Applications should be submitted by 27 June 2025. e-mail the applications to sekretariat.indologie@lrz.uni-muenchen.de, indicating in the subject line of the e-mail: “Gandhara PhD application.”

Your employment in the position should begin preferably by 1 October 2025, but a slightly later date is possible.

For more information, please send a joint e-mail to Dr. Stefan Baums (baums@lmu.de) and Prof. Dr. Vincent Tournier (vincent.tournier@lmu.de).

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